Candy Canes
by kiratotherescue
Summary: Part of the Tumblr "25 Days of Fic" meme. Nick ends up going a little out of his way to help Jess pass out her homemade candycanes.


"Hey Jess, have you seen my coat anywhere—" Nick stopped dead in his tracks once he laid eyes on the kitchen. Jess had basically covered the entirety of every counter with candy canes. The whole place smelled like peppermint. "Jess, what the hell _is_ this?" Jess looked at him with a confused face, as if this was a normal thing to do in the kitchen. Nick walked over to the counters, looking at all the candy canes. He couldn't even count how many there were.

"Why did you buy all of these?"

"I didn't buy them, I _made_ them!" Jess said proudly.

"Well then why did you _make_ all of these? Besides, who even makes their own candy canes?"

"Me! Well, and some old lady who I used to live next to; she's the one who taught me. But anyway, you need to get out of the way because I have another batch coming up." She started pushing him out of the kitchen.

"Hey, you still haven't answered my question!"

"Okay, if you HAVE to know, I take them all downtown and give them out to the homeless on the day before Christmas."

"Are you serious? And they actually _eat_ those inedible sticks?" Nick laughed.

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Nick?" she huffed.

"Alright, alright, I'll get out of your way!" Nick threw his hands up and went to his room as Jess continued to make more candy canes, spreading the strong scent (or what would be more of a stench to him) of peppermint throughout the apartment.

* * *

Jess left the house around noon while Nick, Schmidt, and Winston were still eating lunch. "I'm off!" she said, picking up her giant box full of candy canes (it was of course personally decorated with Christmas glitter). "Have fun with your candy canes!" Nick called as she walked out the door. Five minutes after she left, Nick grabbed his keys and his jacket.

"Where are _you_ going, Nick?" Winston asked. "Sorry, I gotta follow her and see what she's actually doing with all that!" Before they could ask anything else, he was out the door.

It took a while for Nick to get downtown, and he drove around for ten minutes trying to figure out where she was. Finally he found her on one of the busier streets he was driving by.

There was Jess, standing with her box of candy canes, still practically full. It looked like less than ten people had taken one. She was trying not to look sad, but Nick recognized that fake smile. He started to feel kind of bad for making fun of her. Then, he got an idea.

* * *

Jess had been standing in this spot for about half an hour, and barely anyone had taken a candy cane. She began to just offer one to anyone who passed by, but almost everyone just ignored her and walked on by. She sighed and sat against the wall. She wasn't sure if she was going crazy, but she swore she could hear bells ringing in the distance. She looked to her right, and sure enough, some guy dressed in all red was running down the street. Once Jess took a closer look, she realized it was _Nick_.

Nick ran over to where Jess was sitting, obnoxiously ringing the sleigh bells he was holding. "FREE CANDYCANES, EVERYONE! HOMEMADE BY THE COOLEST CANDYCANE MAKER IN LOS ANGELES!" he yelled into the street. Everyone began to stare at him like he was a crazy person. Jess laughed.

"Nick, what are you even _doing_ here? And you're not helping, by the way. I think everyone thinks were insane now."

"I had to help a friend in need, a friend who made some kick-ass candycanes. Consider this my Christmas present to you." he continued frantically ringing the bells. "IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT HOMEMADE CANDYCANES, SNOBS!"

Jess shook her head and laughed again. "I guess I should say thank you?" Nick grabbed a candycane and lightly hit her on the head with it. "Merry Christmas, kid." Jess smiled, and decided that she might as well join in the fun. She took a handful of candycanes and started shouting with him, throwing them up in the air. She was happy; it was the first time anyone actually cared about those homemade candycanes.


End file.
